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Instagram is developing a feature that will allow users to remove themselves from someone’s “Close Friends” list, Meta told TechCrunch on Friday. The company says the feature is still in the early stages and is not being tested publicly yet.
The social network’s Close Friends feature lets users share Stories, Reels, and posts with a select group of people, rather than their entire follower base. Since the feature’s launch in 2018, users haven’t been able to remove themselves from someone else’s Close Friends list.
The internal prototype was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who specializes in finding unreleased features while they’re still under development.
According to a screenshot shared by Paluzzi, Meta will warn users that if they leave a Close Friends list, they won’t be able to see that person’s Close Friends content unless that person adds them back to their list.
While some people would undoubtedly feel offended if others leave their Close Friends list, the feature would likely be a welcome addition for those who’d rather not be included on certain people’s lists.
It’s worth noting that Snapchat, one of Instagram’s main competitors, already allows its users to remove themselves from someone’s private story — a similar feature.
As with any other internal prototype, it’s unknown when or if Instagram plans to release the feature publicly.
Beyond Close Friends updates, Instagram is also working on other new features. Meta told TechCrunch earlier this week that it plans to test new subscriptions that give people access to exclusive features on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
While Meta didn’t share details about which specific features these subscriptions will include, Paluzzi shared that a premium subscription on Instagram will allow users to create unlimited audience lists, see which followers don’t follow them back, and view Stories without the poster knowing.
Meta said its goal with the upcoming subscriptions is to give users access to special features and more control over how they share and connect, while keeping the core experiences free. The company doesn’t appear to be locked into one strategy, as it plans to test a variety of subscription features and bundles with each app subscription offering a distinct set of exclusive features.
